


Quiet Shimmers in the Snow

by hailqiqi



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: ALL THE FLUFF, Confessions, F/M, Fluff, Ice Skating, Kinda, Lance is clueless, Matt is a little Shit, Pidge POV, Realisations, discussions, fairies in trees, how is that not a tag already, lance pov, magical space tropes, now with more chapters!, romance romance everywhere but not a drop for me, timely advice from inanimate objects, valentine's planet
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-07
Updated: 2017-12-27
Packaged: 2019-01-30 20:00:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,145
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12660429
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hailqiqi/pseuds/hailqiqi
Summary: Lance had always hated being single on Valentine's Day. Being single on a Valentine's planet was even worse.Being surrounded by love did give him a chance for introspection, though. And lead to a surprise first date in the most romantic setting in the universe.---A fluffy fic comprised out of different angst prompts from tumblr.





	1. The Musings of Lance

The market was beside one of the most spectacular ice rinks Lance had ever seen.

The ice was a shimmering, silvery white - something about metals in the water making it more silver than the ice back at Earth - and the rink was surrounded by trees with pale green trunks and baby blue leaves. Lanterns strung between them twinkled like stars in the night, and what looked like fairies glowed amongst the leaves and zoomed across the rink itself, leaving coloured trails behind them as they weaved between the skaters (he’d been told they were a type of firefly, but they looked like fairies so Lance was going to call them fairies and just be done with it).

Topping it all off - literally - were the wispy pink clouds that drifted lazily in the night sky above it, only partially obscuring the view of the magnificent swirling galaxy that was host to the Ulippa system.

It was the most breathtakingly _romantic_ sight Lance had ever seen. The rest of the team had gasped in awe as well, and Pidge had honest-to-goodness _squealed_ when she saw it. Lance hadn’t even known she was capable of it.

Tysa, their guide, smiled gently at them. “I see you like the gliding ring, Paladins. Unfortunately it is only for those who know the fine music of pairdom.”

Aaaaand there it was. Lance had always hated being single on Valentine’s Day, but that was _nothing_ compared to how much he was coming to hate being single on Ayurla.

Romantic love was celebrated on Ayurla. It was a goal, something that everybody must try and attain, and in order to encourage that it felt like just about every cool activity on the planet was reserved for couples. Love was the foremost thought on everybody’s mind and being in love seemed to be the be-all and end-all to everything. It was like Valentine’s Day 24/7.

Lance could understand it if Ayurlans had soulmates or something, but Tysa had said that most Ayurlans had many partners over their lifetimes - and multiple partners at once wasn’t uncommon, either. He’d also been confused when Hunk had asked about marriage or life-long commitments, seeming surprised that humans were prone to tie themselves to one person for the rest of their lives.

Lance didn’t get it. What was the point of being in love if it wasn’t going to be forever?

Hunk nudged him with his elbow, breaking him out of his reverie. “Maybe we should just check out the market, then?”

“Eh, I guess,” Lance replied, stretching his arms over his head. “I’m kinda disappointed though. I’ve never been ice skating.”

“Well, it doesn’t look like that’s going to be possible, so we may as well make the best of it and explore the market.” Typical Shiro, always encouraging them to make the best out of a bad situation.

Not that it was a terrible situation. The market really did look cool: there were food stands selling everything from frozen candies to steaming tie-dyed soups that had set Hunk bouncing up and down with excitement; Lance had seen glimpses of jewellery that looked like it was set with starlight and fabrics that glittered; other stands had been overladen with displays of every kind of tech gadget you could imagine (and then some).

Lance really did want to check it out, he’d just rather go ice-skating first.

“If you really wanna go ice-skating, why not just ask Pidge to go with you?” Lance whipped around to see Matt grinning at him mischievously, but before he could react the older man doubled over in pain as Pidge’s fist connected with his gut.

“I told you already, we’re. _Just. Friends!_ ” She ground out, emphasising the last two words with smaller hits. Her cheeks were red, but it could’ve just been the cold - their paladin armour was temperature-controlled but only covered up to the neck, and nobody had bothered to bring their helmets despite the falling snowflakes.

“If you decide to change that, you’d be welcome on the ice,” Tysa chipped in serenely.

Lance felt his own cheeks heat up in response (to the cold, obviously). “Uh, thanks. We’ll keep that in mind.”

“Sure we will,” Pidge added, crossing her arms as she looked away from the group. “So, Tysa, can we go explore the market? There were a few stalls that Matt and I wanted to check out.”

Her cheeks were a deep red now.

Could he still blame that on the cold?

“Certainly,” the guide answered. “I will be waiting here in case you need any assistance.”

—

Lance ended up wandering the market with Hunk and Allura. The market was as fascinating as it had looked and his companions kept alternately shoving interesting foods and shiny trinkets in his face, but Lance found himself too distracted to take it in properly.

Pidge had been blushing around him a lot lately.

She always had though, hadn’t she? The light dusting of pink that often coloured her cheeks had been a familiar sight to Lance for as long as he’d known her, even back when he’d thought she was a him. She was probably only blushing more often lately because her stupid brother had a habit of opening his big mouth and saying things like he had earlier.

Lance fought back a wave of irritation at the thought. Stupid Matt and his stupid suggestions. Pidge and him had a good thing going - they played games in his room together, watched movies together, sometimes sat up in the observation deck together when they couldn’t sleep. He’d help her find bugs in her code and she’d help him with his hand-to-hand. They had an easy rapport - they spent most of their time together joking and laughing, and they were comfortable enough with each other that casual hugs and touches and leaning on each other were all just part of hanging out.

But then Matt would make some stupid comment and suddenly they’d be five feet apart, cheeks burning and unable to look at each other. It made conversation stilted and awkward and Lance _hated_ it.

“Look, Hunk, it’s a divining ball! I used to have one of these!” Allura grabbed something that looked like a Magic 8 Ball and held it to her chest, closing her eyes. Hunk said something in reply but Lance tuned it out, running his fingers over some of the shimmery red love-heart cushions instead.

What made it worse was that he couldn’t figure out _why_ Matt’s comments affected him the way they did. Him and Pidge were friends, just friends. Sure, she was pretty in her nerdy way (more like beautiful), and he felt like he was just in a constant state of being impressed when he was around her, and then he found it hard to do anything but smile when he was around her, but that didn’t mean…

Wait.

Lance’s eyes widened and his fingers stilled as the pieces slot into place.

Oh.

He looked around wildly, gaze finally settling on a painting of a pair of Ayurlan lovers in a park as he tried to reign his thoughts in.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen! When Lance fell in love it there was meant to be fireworks and a choir of angels, the whole shebang. He was meant to see rainbows and roses and just _know_ that she was The One the moment he saw her (or at least the moment he realised).

Yet here he was, very clearly feeling something for Pidge and yet there hadn’t been any fanfare. He couldn’t even figure out when things had changed, couldn’t pinpoint the moment he fell for her. At some point it had just become as natural as breathing.

But falling in love wasn’t _supposed_ to be quiet, was it? It was meant to be something that consumed your whole being, filled you with burning, fiery passion, stopping you from thinking about anything else. At least that’s what all the songs said.

So did he love her?

 “Hey, Lance! Buddy, are you okay?” Hunk’s concerned face was suddenly filling his vision, and Lance leaned back to get some space. “You look out of it.”

Lance blinked, shaking himself out of his stupor before replying. “Uh, yeah, sorry man. Just…” Just what, exactly? Just realised I might be in love with our other best friend? “Just got a lot on my mind.”

“Oh, you should try this then!” Allura smiled enthusiastically as she pushed the silver ball at him. “It’s a divining ball!”

“A divining ball?”

“Yes! I used to have one as a girl. You hold it to your chest and ask for help, and it tells you what you most need to hear.”

Lance raised one eyebrow. “Sounds more like a motivational ball.”

“That’s what I said!” Hunk chimed in. “It really works though. It told me I need to stop thinking about things that probably won’t happen, and I have to admit it’s got a point.”

Lance shot them both a disbelieving look before taking the ball from Allura and holding it in front of his chest. “Like this, then?”

“Yes, just like that,” Allura confirmed. “Then you close your eyes and ask it inside your mind for help.”

He closed his eyes.

_I think I’m in love with someone but I don’t think that’s how love works._

The ball in his hands grew warm.

“Love exists, whether it is acknowledged or not.”

Lance opened his eyes. Huh.

That made sense.

“Uh, buddy? What did you ask it?” Hunk and Allura were looking at him, confused expressions on both of their faces.

Lance shrugged, his cheeks flushing, “Just…things.”

He looked down at the ball again, then held it up to his chest and closed his eyes.

_Okay, so if I love her, what do I do about it?_

He felt warmth spring to life under his palms again, and opened his eyes expectantly.

“Love makes silence golden, but silence can never make love bloom.”

Well. Okay then.

Confidence bloomed in his chest, and he grinned. This was gonna be great.

“Here Allura, I gotta go,” Lance said, pushing the divining ball back towards Allura. “Thanks for this!”

“Where are you going?” She called after him, confused, but Lance ignored her as he pushed his way through the crowds.

He just had to look for a big blue and orange guy with a gap in the crowd next to him. She shouldn’t be too hard to find.

—

“Pidge!”

Pidge whirled around as he made his way towards her, breathless from pushing his way through the crowds. He’d had to go all the way to the other side of the rink, but he’d finally found them.

She frowned at him. “Hey, Lance, what’re you-“

“Do you wanna go ice skating with me?”

“What?” Pidge’s eyes blew wide, and that light pink Lance had come to love coloured her cheeks. “Lance, we can’t. Tysa said, remember? It’s not for friends.”

Lance snorted and looked her in the eye. “We’re not just friends, and you fucking know it.”

Pidge’s mouth dropped open.

Lance suddenly felt the rush of confidence deflate and took a step back, bringing a hand up to his neck and looking away nervously. “Uh, that is, if you wanna be. Uh, go. Ice-skating.”

Screwing up his courage, he looked at her again and held out his hand, patently ignoring Matt cracking up a few steps away.

A warm smile slowly bloomed across Pidge’s face, making her eyes shine and her cheeks flush as she reached out and placed her hand in his. “Okay.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt 'We're not just friends, and you fucking know it.'


	2. Questions Ruin the Mood, but Pidge Has Them

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First dates are always nerve-wracking, but they're even worse when they're sprung on you out of nowhere.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhh, I'm not keen on the ending, but have some fluff!

Pidge sat on a bench near the entrance to the rink, waiting for Lance to come back with some coats because her shorts and windbreaker were entirely insufficient for ice-skating and Lance apparently thought anything below 80 **°** F was sweater weather.

Normally Pidge would be annoyed at being left alone, but right now she appreciated the chance to calm her racing thoughts. Telling Tysa they’d wanted to skate had been awkward, and actually lining up for the skates had been weirder. Sitting here, though, surrounded by the beauty of Ayurla, was soothing.

A lightning bug buzzed past her ear and zoomed off to hover over the silver ice, leaving a contrail of pink sparkles in its wake. Pidge watched it with idle curiosity, tilting her head back as it climbed higher and higher into the sky before losing sight of it amongst the glittering stars. The stars here were incredible, and the system’s densely-packed galaxies made it look like the sky was splattered with nebulae.

Pidge couldn’t help but smile. As far as first dates go, this place was amazing.

“It’s pretty, huh?”

Lance stood behind her, a smile on his face as he gazed up at the stars too.  “You’d think we’d get tired of it, but I still think it’s incredible.” He looked down at her and shrugged, then held out a shopping bag. “Here.”

“Thanks.” Pidge straightened up and opened the bag, pausing when she saw what was inside. “Black?”

Lance shrugged again. “A few weeks back you said you hated how everything’s colour-coded, remember?” He sat down beside her on the bench, opening up his own bag and pulling out a coat which he showed off with a flourish. “Besides, mine’s white, so we kinda match!”

He pulled the puffy coat on over his hoodie, grinning as he did. “They had some crazy bright ones covered in hearts, but I thought the fairies would be more your style.”

True to his word, his white coat was polka-dotted with small splashes of colour, invoking the lightning bugs that were buzzing around the rink. She watched him zip it up, trying to decide if the effect was striking or adorable. Could a person be both?

Lance caught her gaze and grinned. “Put yours on! You’re gonna get cold.”

“Okay, okay,” she laughed, removing her coat from the bag and pulling it on. The puffy black material was covered in coloured splashes, just like Lance’s, and her eyes went wide as she zipped it up. “Hey, they sparkle!”

“That they do,” he agreed, sounding pleased with himself. “And hey, you forgot something.”

“Hm?” Pidge looked up just as Lance looped a green scarf over her head, making sure it was wrapped snugly around her neck before carefully tucking it down the front of her jacket.

She froze, her cheeks on fire. He was _so close_. His expression was focused, like when he was lining up a shot, but when he leaned back she could see red in his dark cheeks, too.

What in the quiznaking universe were they doing?

An awkward silence fell over them, and Pidge shifted nervously, her hands coming up to touch the scarf. “Thanks,” she mumbled.

He smiled and shrugged, offering her a strained ‘no problem’ as he turned away to start undoing his laces. Pidge copied him, tugging her orange boots off, mind racing a mile a minute again. This was _weird_.

She was on a date with Lance.

How had this even happened, anyway?

 “Hey, Lance? Why did you ask me?”

The question had left her lips before she’d even realised she was asking it. Lance finished tightening his laces and looked at her, brows furrowed, and Pidge looked away, berating herself for asking the stupid question in the first place. Maybe it was better not to know.

“What do you mean?” His voice was confused.

Pidge kept her eyes trained on her skates as she fiddled with the aglets, then took a deep breath, straightened up and looked him in the eye. “Why did you ask me, and not Allura?”

“Oh,” Lance’s eyes widened. “I, uh…well…”

Pidge’s stomach sank. “Did she say no?”

“What? No!” He replied quickly, alarmed. “I didn’t ask her at all!”

Pidge blinked at him in surprise. Unexpected. But…that was a good thing, right? Though it still didn’t answer the question. “So why did you ask me?”

Shame crossed his face. “Look, I can see why you’d think I’d ask her but I don’t think I’ve liked her like that in a long time. Not really, anyway.” He frowned, then added as an afterthought: “Maybe I never did.”

“But you always—“

“No, no, no, it was just a crush!” Lance cut in, gesticulating wildly. “I mean, she’s gorgeous and amazing and fell into my arms and I just went ‘Oh hey, fairy tale!’ and decided in my head that that was it because that’s how it works in the movies, y’know? But I uh…” He glanced away, one hand coming up to scratch his neck before shrugging. “I realised that it’s different. Like, I was always okay with Allura saying no, because there’s lots of other beautiful women in the universe, right?” He spread his arms wide to demonstrate his point. “But you? I really, really, really don’t want you to say no.”

He dropped his arms, cheeks red as he looked at her in earnest. “I like you, Pidge. As…more than friends. Like, a lot more.”

“Oh,” Pidge uttered blankly, the sound falling from her lips with a puff of condensation. He liked her? “Since when?”

Lance jumped, taken by surprise at the question, then scratched his head again nervously. “Honestly? Um, I’m not sure. I think it started a long time ago.” He frowned again. “Maybe even as far back as Beta Traz? I only just figured it out, though. It kinda…snuck up on me.”

Pidge’s eyes widened in surprise, and her gaze fell to her hands. He’d liked her for that long? How had she not noticed? And why had he not said anything? How did _he_ not notice, actually, because how was it even possible to like someone and not know it?

 _Denial_ , a helpful voice at the back of her mind supplied. After all, hadn’t she talked herself out of liking him a few times? It hadn’t really worked, but it had been enough to push the feelings out of sight and out of mind. Maybe he’d been doing the same thing? The thought made her pulse race.

A gentle elbow to the side brought her out of her reverie, and she looked up. Lance had slid closer to sit puffy-shoulder to puffy-shoulder and was looking down at her, worrying his lip between his teeth. It was endearing.

“So, do you like me too?”

She smiled, her heart suddenly giddy, and the words came more easily than she’d ever thought possible. “Yeah,” she gave a firm nod. “I do. I like you, too.”

The smile that lit his face was brighter than any of the swirling stars above. He bounced to his feet and Pidge let him pull her up to stand next to him, both balancing precariously on their skates. “C’mon then. Let’s go on a date!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For the prompt 'adjusting clothing' from tumblr.


End file.
